Soda Pop
by AppleMistress
Summary: After three years, Dipper and Mabel have come to spend another summer in Gravity Falls. Fifteen, definitely a teen, and taller, Dipper realizes he finally has a chance with Wendy. If only he could play it cool.


**Soda Pop**

_AppleMistress_

* * *

"Where's Wendy?"

He heard Mabel suppress a giggle, holding her sweater-covered hands over her mouth. But he didn't care. Wendy wasn't behind the counter. Instead, an older man sat there, knitting something that looked like a deformed washcloth.

Soos rubbed the back of his head. He was about to comment on how tall the twins had gotten since they'd last been there. It'd been three, maybe four years. A pretty long time. "Oh yeah, she quit a few months after you guys left." He looked back at the counter and then turned to the Pines twins with a nonchalant shrug. "She's working at that used book store now. What was it called… Darlene's. Daphne's. Something starting with a D."

"_What_?" Mabel crinkled her nose up and Dipper's jaw dropped. "Why would she work at a place like _that_?"

"Why'd she quit!?" That was what Dipper wanted to know. This summer wasn't going to be as fun as he expected if Wendy wasn't going to be around all the time. And on top of that, he really wanted to see her.

"You'd have to ask Wendy." Soos walked over and grabbed Mabel's suitcase for her. "You guys should go-"

Soos couldn't finish his sentence before he heard the door to the Mystery Shack squeak open and slam closed. Mabel shrugged and offered the older guy a gigantic grin. "He's still got a silly crush."

Soos's eyes widened. He crouched down so that he was was staring directly at Mabel's teeth. "Dude, your braces! They've been abducted by aliens or something…"

Mabel's cheeks flushed and she let out another laugh. "Soos, I got them off, like, two years ago!" She set her hands on her waist pridefully. "Isn't my smile totally blinding!?"

"Aw man, yeah. You need to be on a toothpaste commercial."

"We should _make_ a toothpaste commercial!"

* * *

Wendy's gaze traveled from the book she was holding in her hands to the entrance when she heard the bell above the door clang. There weren't usually that many customers at this odd, used bookstore in the summertime. Her eyes widened at who she saw.

"Wendy, why'd you quit!?" Dipper sounded incredulous, out of breath, and his voice was distinctly lower. Wendy rose her eyebrows at the sight of him.

"Well, hey Dipper. Haven't seen you around in a while." Wendy closed her book and climbed over the counter. She smiled. "I heard you'd be back for the summer."

He blushed as soon as she started talking, obviously embarrassed. He kicked at the carpet and let a sheepish smile cross his features. "H-Hey Wendy." Mentally, he beat himself up._ 'What the heck are you doing? Still acting like a nervous wreck around Wendy!' _

"I quit because Robbie forced me to. He told me the Mystery Shack wasn't a safe place… after all that weird stuff happened." Wendy started to explain without a second thought, blowing a loose strand of her vermillion hair out of her eyes. "Plus, it wasn't really as fun when you and Mabel left."

Dipper took a look around the store she was currently in and rubbed the side of his head. "And this is fun?"

"It used to be a total drag." Wendy wore a side-ways, laid back grin that was so totally 'Wendy' that Dipper couldn't help but grin back. "But then I started looking at some of the books in here… and they're actually pretty cool. Even better than those magazines I used to read."

Dipper nodded. It'd been three years, after all. Things were bound to change in Gravity Falls, at least a little. And the fact that Robbie had convinced Wendy to quit was bugging him.

"Are you… _Still_ seeing Robbie?" Dipper tried to keep the jealousy from exploding in his tone. "Are you still together?"

Wendy rolled her eyes. "No." She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. "C'mon, do we have to talk about that though? You're back! You should be celebrating!" She looked around. "Where's Mabel?"

"Oh, she's at the Mystery Shack with Soos." Dipper had to do everything he could to keep himself from doing some kind of silly, joyous jig. Robbie was out the door, he was gone, and now maybe he had a chance-

Wait. Just because she was done with Robbie didn't mean that she wasn't seeing someone else. He wanted to smack himself across the head. Of course she was seeing someone! She was Wendy, she was perfect…

"…and I think we should all go out and do something tonight." Wendy had taken her place behind the counter again, propping her elbows up on the counter. "Don't you think so?"

Dipper hadn't heard the first part of her sentence, but he nodded anyways. "Yeah! I… That's a great idea! We could… definitely do something?" Why was he so _bad_ at talking to her? It was probably just the awkwardness of seeing her again after three years. And he was just as tall as she was now. He was older… sure, she was still a little older than him. But there was almost no difference between them now.

* * *

Disco Girl played in the Pines Twins room, still styled for twelve year-olds, since Stan didn't feel like remodeling. Mabel leaned in front of the mirror and widened her eyes as she applied a little mascara, swaying her hips a little. Dipper's odd pop music really was catchy.

Dipper was writing in a notebook. Mabel let out an exaggerated sigh. "You aren't making a list. Tell me you aren't making a list." She dropped the mascara in her makeup bag and turned to look at her brother, hands on her hips as though she'd caught him committing a crime.

"No… no." Dipper chuckled anxiously and crumbled whatever it was he was writing. He got up and took Mabel's place at the mirror, taking his hat off and combing through his hair. He saw Mabel appear behind him in the reflection, wearing a grin.

"Dipper, you're so cute! Acting like a little kid again!" She encircled her brother in her arms and held on tight. Dipper tried to struggle out of her grasp, but couldn't quite manage it. He laughed.

"Stop, stop it Mabel!" Dipper tried to sound serious, but couldn't quite manage it through his laughter. Eventually, she let go. She was wearing a purple sweater with a pink heart on it- she'd never been able to let her sweaters go. And she smelled like raspberries… some sort of perfume. She was all ready to go.

"C'mon Waddles! We're going out tonight!" The pig tottered over and rubbed up against the brunette's legs. Mabel took Waddles in her arms and held him close.

Dipper grinned in spite of himself. "I'm as tall as Wendy. I might stand a chance!" Mabel closed her eyes and nodded her head. "And she's done with Robbie. That's good, right?"

"Right, right. Just don't be nervous, Dipper!" Mabel nodded her head. She was actually sort of surprised that Dipper still had a crush on Wendy, even after all these years. He'd never really shown an interest in anyone else. She was happy that Wendy got rid of Robbie too. She was happy for Dipper.

And of course, she was going to leave early. Waddles had an early bedtime. Dipper and Wendy would get some time alone. Yes, Mabel Pines was a mastermind matchmaker. A professional. She, in short, was spectacular. Dipper would love her forever. Not that he didn't already.

* * *

**I don't tend to write fanfiction that skips into the future too early in the series, since I know all of the stuff in here is subject to change. But I couldn't resist, writing for Gravity Falls is so much fun! Not sure if I nailed the characters yet, but I'll do my best to. This story is probably going to be maybe two or three chapters long... But if I find myself liking where this is going, it could be longer. I love Dipper with Wendy. But having a twelve-year old in a relationship seems sorta... weird to me. So the timeskip makes the difference a little less obvious. I'm rooting for Dipper all the way, so I thought it'd be fun to write something like this. Let me know what you all think and if you have any suggestions. :)**

**-Apple**


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